title: Erwinia persicinus, a new species isolated from plants.
abstract: Five strains of a gram-negative, oxidase-negative, facultatively anaerobic, fermentative, motile, rod-shaped bacterium with the general characteristics of the family Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from tomatoes (three strains), a banana, and a cucumber. All of the strains produced a water-soluble pink pigment. As determined by DNA hybridization (hydroxyapatite method) these five strains were 85 to 100% related in 60 and 75 degrees C reactions, and related sequences exhibited 1% or less base sequence divergence, indicating that the organisms are members of a single species. These bacteria were most closely related to Erwinia rhapontici (68 to 72% at 60 degrees C, 42 to 44% at 75 degrees C, 10.5% divergence) and to hybridization group VIII in the Enterobacter agglomerans (Pantoea agglomerans, Erwinia herbicola) complex (64% at 60 degrees C, 32% at 75 degrees C, 14.5% divergence). Phenotypic differentiation from Erwinia rhapontici, which also produces a water-soluble pink pigment, is based on negative reactions by the new species in tests for methyl red, N-acetylglucosamine, DL-tartrate assimilation, and acid production from amygdalin, dulcitol, D-fucose, beta-gentiobiose, alpha-methyl-D-glucoside, glycerol, D-lyxose, melezitose, D-turanose, xylitol, and D-xylose and a positive reaction for acetoin (Voges-Proskauer test). On the basis of these data, the name Erwinia persicinus is proposed for the new organism. The type strain is strain HK 204 (= AJ 2716 = CDC 9108-82 = IAM 12843 = JCM 3704 = ATCC 35998).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Microbiology, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Steigerwalt
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kosako
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komagata
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004885:Erwinia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial